Written questions by Davies.

What steps she plans to take to tackle the shortage of qualified (a) teachers and (b) staff to provide literacy education in prisons.

The recruitment of qualified teachers is primarily a matter for the prison education providers. HMPPS is working with education providers to reduce teacher vacancies. The vacancy rate for all providers has reduced over the last few months. As of 15 December 2024 it was 4%, reducing from 5% in November 2024 and 7% in October 2024.HMPPS has contractual levers in place to ensure that literacy courses are delivered, with financial penalties for non-delivery. Providers must deliver 95% of commissioned courses due to vacancies, or take a 2% financial penalty. We also do not pay for any commissioned education which is not delivered.

What steps she plans to take to support the use of (a) technology and (b) digital resources to enhance literacy education in prisons.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and improving prisoner literacy is a key aim of prison education and plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications, which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations.Education providers are also encouraged to embed learning in vocational training. Engagement is also supported through the delivery of Education for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and all learners are screened for neurodiversity needs and provided with support so that education is tailored, and adjustments (such as providing assistive technology or additional support) are made for those with additional learning needs and/or ESOL.All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel with external experts to provide advice and challenge as we develop new work in this area. These include representatives from Department for Education, Ofsted, British Dyslexia Association and the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults. Libraries support prisoners in their reading. We also have a long-standing National Reading Working Group that has members from Further Education and the Third Sector.In terms of improving digital delivery, our in-cell technology programme, Launchpad, has now been provided in 17 prisons which gives prisoners access to resources that support reading and literacy in their cells. Launchpad will be delivered to a further 2 prisons by March 2025, increasing the total number of prisoners with access to around 12,900. Since the 1st of July 2024, the Shannon Trust, ‘Learn to Read’ content series has been accessed by Launchpad users over 5000 times.

If she will take steps to help tackle the (a) stigma and (b) barriers preventing prisoners from participating in literacy programs.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and improving prisoner literacy is a key aim of prison education and plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications, which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations.Education providers are also encouraged to embed learning in vocational training. Engagement is also supported through the delivery of Education for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and all learners are screened for neurodiversity needs and provided with support so that education is tailored, and adjustments (such as providing assistive technology or additional support) are made for those with additional learning needs and/or ESOL.All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel with external experts to provide advice and challenge as we develop new work in this area. These include representatives from Department for Education, Ofsted, British Dyslexia Association and the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults. Libraries support prisoners in their reading. We also have a long-standing National Reading Working Group that has members from Further Education and the Third Sector.In terms of improving digital delivery, our in-cell technology programme, Launchpad, has now been provided in 17 prisons which gives prisoners access to resources that support reading and literacy in their cells. Launchpad will be delivered to a further 2 prisons by March 2025, increasing the total number of prisoners with access to around 12,900. Since the 1st of July 2024, the Shannon Trust, ‘Learn to Read’ content series has been accessed by Launchpad users over 5000 times.

Whether her Department is taking steps to form partnerships with (a) external organisations and (b) volunteers to support literacy initiatives in prisons.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and improving prisoner literacy is a key aim of prison education and plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications, which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations.Education providers are also encouraged to embed learning in vocational training. Engagement is also supported through the delivery of Education for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and all learners are screened for neurodiversity needs and provided with support so that education is tailored, and adjustments (such as providing assistive technology or additional support) are made for those with additional learning needs and/or ESOL.All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel with external experts to provide advice and challenge as we develop new work in this area. These include representatives from Department for Education, Ofsted, British Dyslexia Association and the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults. Libraries support prisoners in their reading. We also have a long-standing National Reading Working Group that has members from Further Education and the Third Sector.In terms of improving digital delivery, our in-cell technology programme, Launchpad, has now been provided in 17 prisons which gives prisoners access to resources that support reading and literacy in their cells. Launchpad will be delivered to a further 2 prisons by March 2025, increasing the total number of prisoners with access to around 12,900. Since the 1st of July 2024, the Shannon Trust, ‘Learn to Read’ content series has been accessed by Launchpad users over 5000 times.

Whether she plans to take steps to integrate prisoner literacy programs with other (a) educational and (b) vocational training opportunities.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and improving prisoner literacy is a key aim of prison education and plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications, which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations.Education providers are also encouraged to embed learning in vocational training. Engagement is also supported through the delivery of Education for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and all learners are screened for neurodiversity needs and provided with support so that education is tailored, and adjustments (such as providing assistive technology or additional support) are made for those with additional learning needs and/or ESOL.All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel with external experts to provide advice and challenge as we develop new work in this area. These include representatives from Department for Education, Ofsted, British Dyslexia Association and the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults. Libraries support prisoners in their reading. We also have a long-standing National Reading Working Group that has members from Further Education and the Third Sector.In terms of improving digital delivery, our in-cell technology programme, Launchpad, has now been provided in 17 prisons which gives prisoners access to resources that support reading and literacy in their cells. Launchpad will be delivered to a further 2 prisons by March 2025, increasing the total number of prisoners with access to around 12,900. Since the 1st of July 2024, the Shannon Trust, ‘Learn to Read’ content series has been accessed by Launchpad users over 5000 times.

Whether her Department is taking steps to tailor literacy programmes for prisoners (a) with learning disabilities and (b) for whom English is a second language.

Reading is a priority for HMPPS, and improving prisoner literacy is a key aim of prison education and plays an important role in supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications, which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations.Education providers are also encouraged to embed learning in vocational training. Engagement is also supported through the delivery of Education for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) and all learners are screened for neurodiversity needs and provided with support so that education is tailored, and adjustments (such as providing assistive technology or additional support) are made for those with additional learning needs and/or ESOL.All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel with external experts to provide advice and challenge as we develop new work in this area. These include representatives from Department for Education, Ofsted, British Dyslexia Association and the National Association for Teaching English and Community Languages to Adults. Libraries support prisoners in their reading. We also have a long-standing National Reading Working Group that has members from Further Education and the Third Sector.In terms of improving digital delivery, our in-cell technology programme, Launchpad, has now been provided in 17 prisons which gives prisoners access to resources that support reading and literacy in their cells. Launchpad will be delivered to a further 2 prisons by March 2025, increasing the total number of prisoners with access to around 12,900. Since the 1st of July 2024, the Shannon Trust, ‘Learn to Read’ content series has been accessed by Launchpad users over 5000 times.

What steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to develop a coordinated strategy for managing the health and wellbeing of children in custodial settings during future pandemics.

The Youth Custody Service (part of HMPPS) works with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Department for Education, and NHS England’s Health & Justice Children's Team to ensure a co-ordinated strategy for managing the health and wellbeing of children in custodial settings, and to ensure appropriate resources and guidance are developed to support the children and young people secure estate (CYPSE) in responding to any new or emerging threats, including a future pandemic. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the UKHSA with the support of the Youth Custody Service and other partners, commissioned a review into how to improve guidance and resources for secure children's settings on preventing and responding to infectious disease threats. Following this review, UKHSA has worked with partners on a co-ordinated strategy to ensure that these recommendations inform continuing work on preventing, preparing for and responding to infectious disease threats, and on pandemic preparedness in the CYPSE. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Custody Services – the final report of the Youth Custody Service’s COVID-19 Research and Evaluation Programme, published in October 2022 – is an extensive piece of research across the secure estate, which captured and assessed the experience of dealing with the threat of COVID-19. The results have not only informed recovery planning, but also became part of the wider plan to prepare for any future pandemic. Establishments and providers have been given greater flexibility in learning from this report to enable them to meet the individual needs of children, by enabling holistic and tailored service delivery, that is evidence-based.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of issuing guidance to prisons on supporting children in custody in different pandemic scenarios.

The Youth Custody Service (part of HMPPS) works with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the Department for Education, and NHS England’s Health & Justice Children's Team to ensure a co-ordinated strategy for managing the health and wellbeing of children in custodial settings, and to ensure appropriate resources and guidance are developed to support the children and young people secure estate (CYPSE) in responding to any new or emerging threats, including a future pandemic. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the UKHSA with the support of the Youth Custody Service and other partners, commissioned a review into how to improve guidance and resources for secure children's settings on preventing and responding to infectious disease threats. Following this review, UKHSA has worked with partners on a co-ordinated strategy to ensure that these recommendations inform continuing work on preventing, preparing for and responding to infectious disease threats, and on pandemic preparedness in the CYPSE. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Youth Custody Services – the final report of the Youth Custody Service’s COVID-19 Research and Evaluation Programme, published in October 2022 – is an extensive piece of research across the secure estate, which captured and assessed the experience of dealing with the threat of COVID-19. The results have not only informed recovery planning, but also became part of the wider plan to prepare for any future pandemic. Establishments and providers have been given greater flexibility in learning from this report to enable them to meet the individual needs of children, by enabling holistic and tailored service delivery, that is evidence-based.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) lack of access to education and (b) prolonged cell confinement on the (i) rehabilitation and (ii) future prospects of children in young offender institutions.

Learning services are reviewed annually, following completion of a needs analysis that evaluates the success, progress, and achievement of each course, taking account of the interests of children, their prior attainment, and their changing needs. The Youth Custody Service (YCS) will continue to work with contractors to drive progress. We recognise the recruitment challenges that education providers face, and that more can be done to make new teachers aware of the vocational attractions of working in custody. The YCS has recruited a dedicated Head of Learning & Enrichment at national level, and Heads of Education, Skills, and Work locally, to drive up standards. It has also worked with Ofsted and provided training to Governors, Deputy Governors, and other key staff to help them lead improvements in delivery. The YCS is working with education providers to ensure effective behavioural management strategies are in place and that teachers have the confidence to challenge poor behaviour effectively. We are using our Framework for Integrated Care, a multi-disciplinary approach, to deliver this more widely. The Head of Learning and Skills chairs regular leadership forums with education providers and managers from Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) on a quarterly basis: these are collaborative planning meetings. All quality assurance carried out by YCS for the delivery of education takes a multi-disciplinary approach. In addition, inter-dependencies are regularly discussed at governance boards to ensure there is a joint approach. The YCS prioritises access to education for children in young offender institutions (YOIs), as this is a key factor in reducing the risk of re-offending. The YCS has national oversight of every child and young person in separation, including the length of time they have been separated for and their access to regime. The YCS’s non-association policy has helped ensure children and young people receive as full a regime as possible, as safely as possible. All YOIs have a small team of dedicated conflict resolution practitioners whose primary role is to help repair harm caused by conflict and reduce the number of non-associations.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) staff shortages and (b) inadequate training on the educational experiences of children in young offender institutions.

Learning services are reviewed annually, following completion of a needs analysis that evaluates the success, progress, and achievement of each course, taking account of the interests of children, their prior attainment, and their changing needs. The Youth Custody Service (YCS) will continue to work with contractors to drive progress. We recognise the recruitment challenges that education providers face, and that more can be done to make new teachers aware of the vocational attractions of working in custody. The YCS has recruited a dedicated Head of Learning & Enrichment at national level, and Heads of Education, Skills, and Work locally, to drive up standards. It has also worked with Ofsted and provided training to Governors, Deputy Governors, and other key staff to help them lead improvements in delivery. The YCS is working with education providers to ensure effective behavioural management strategies are in place and that teachers have the confidence to challenge poor behaviour effectively. We are using our Framework for Integrated Care, a multi-disciplinary approach, to deliver this more widely. The Head of Learning and Skills chairs regular leadership forums with education providers and managers from Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) on a quarterly basis: these are collaborative planning meetings. All quality assurance carried out by YCS for the delivery of education takes a multi-disciplinary approach. In addition, inter-dependencies are regularly discussed at governance boards to ensure there is a joint approach. The YCS prioritises access to education for children in young offender institutions (YOIs), as this is a key factor in reducing the risk of re-offending. The YCS has national oversight of every child and young person in separation, including the length of time they have been separated for and their access to regime. The YCS’s non-association policy has helped ensure children and young people receive as full a regime as possible, as safely as possible. All YOIs have a small team of dedicated conflict resolution practitioners whose primary role is to help repair harm caused by conflict and reduce the number of non-associations.

What steps she is taking to improve collaboration between education providers and young offender institutions.

Learning services are reviewed annually, following completion of a needs analysis that evaluates the success, progress, and achievement of each course, taking account of the interests of children, their prior attainment, and their changing needs. The Youth Custody Service (YCS) will continue to work with contractors to drive progress. We recognise the recruitment challenges that education providers face, and that more can be done to make new teachers aware of the vocational attractions of working in custody. The YCS has recruited a dedicated Head of Learning & Enrichment at national level, and Heads of Education, Skills, and Work locally, to drive up standards. It has also worked with Ofsted and provided training to Governors, Deputy Governors, and other key staff to help them lead improvements in delivery. The YCS is working with education providers to ensure effective behavioural management strategies are in place and that teachers have the confidence to challenge poor behaviour effectively. We are using our Framework for Integrated Care, a multi-disciplinary approach, to deliver this more widely. The Head of Learning and Skills chairs regular leadership forums with education providers and managers from Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) on a quarterly basis: these are collaborative planning meetings. All quality assurance carried out by YCS for the delivery of education takes a multi-disciplinary approach. In addition, inter-dependencies are regularly discussed at governance boards to ensure there is a joint approach. The YCS prioritises access to education for children in young offender institutions (YOIs), as this is a key factor in reducing the risk of re-offending. The YCS has national oversight of every child and young person in separation, including the length of time they have been separated for and their access to regime. The YCS’s non-association policy has helped ensure children and young people receive as full a regime as possible, as safely as possible. All YOIs have a small team of dedicated conflict resolution practitioners whose primary role is to help repair harm caused by conflict and reduce the number of non-associations.

What steps she is taking to increase the quality of education in young offender institutions.

Learning services are reviewed annually, following completion of a needs analysis that evaluates the success, progress, and achievement of each course, taking account of the interests of children, their prior attainment, and their changing needs. The Youth Custody Service (YCS) will continue to work with contractors to drive progress. We recognise the recruitment challenges that education providers face, and that more can be done to make new teachers aware of the vocational attractions of working in custody. The YCS has recruited a dedicated Head of Learning & Enrichment at national level, and Heads of Education, Skills, and Work locally, to drive up standards. It has also worked with Ofsted and provided training to Governors, Deputy Governors, and other key staff to help them lead improvements in delivery. The YCS is working with education providers to ensure effective behavioural management strategies are in place and that teachers have the confidence to challenge poor behaviour effectively. We are using our Framework for Integrated Care, a multi-disciplinary approach, to deliver this more widely. The Head of Learning and Skills chairs regular leadership forums with education providers and managers from Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) on a quarterly basis: these are collaborative planning meetings. All quality assurance carried out by YCS for the delivery of education takes a multi-disciplinary approach. In addition, inter-dependencies are regularly discussed at governance boards to ensure there is a joint approach. The YCS prioritises access to education for children in young offender institutions (YOIs), as this is a key factor in reducing the risk of re-offending. The YCS has national oversight of every child and young person in separation, including the length of time they have been separated for and their access to regime. The YCS’s non-association policy has helped ensure children and young people receive as full a regime as possible, as safely as possible. All YOIs have a small team of dedicated conflict resolution practitioners whose primary role is to help repair harm caused by conflict and reduce the number of non-associations.

What steps her Department is taking to support prison leavers with severe mental illness.

We are committed to working with our partners across health and justice to better support prisoners leaving custody. Our Mental Health Approved Premises Project are piloting a partnership approach to working with people who have mental health challenges. It provides targeted, enhanced mental health support to high-risk prison leavers with the most complex needs, with the aim of building a clear bridge into services in the community. As part of the project, staff can access training to improve their ability to recognise and respond to mental health needs. We have also recruited over 50 Health and Justice Coordinators and Managers nationwide to improve links between prison and community treatment services, to support continuity of care upon release and NHS England’s RECONNECT service, supports prison leavers with vulnerabilities including mental health needs to engage with the right health services in the community through referrals and peer support.

What steps she is taking to provide reading support in prisons; and what programmes her Department funds to provide such support.

All prisons assess prisoner literacy on entry, and deliver English Functional Skills qualifications via the main Prison Education Framework.HMPPS also fund 62 additional literacy and reading contracts across 80 prisons via the more locally commissioned Dynamic Purchasing System.All prisons have a library, and to further support reading the Shannon Trust operates their Turning Pages programme in nearly all prisons in England. This programme teaches prisoners to read and is delivered by prisoner mentors who work with individual learners.Every prison also has a reading strategy which has been supported by the donation of over 150,000 books to prisons by publishing houses through the ‘Bang-Up-Books’ campaign.In addition, the Literacy Innovation Fund provided funding to a further 15 prisons for projects delivered by the Shannon Trust, to further boost the reach of their peer mentoring and the National Literacy Trust who deliver workshops to encourage creative writing, reading and book groups.

How many and what proportion of prisons have a one-to-one literacy mentoring programme.

All prisons assess prisoner literacy on entry, and deliver English Functional Skills qualifications via the main Prison Education Framework.HMPPS also fund 62 additional literacy and reading contracts across 80 prisons via the more locally commissioned Dynamic Purchasing System.All prisons have a library, and to further support reading the Shannon Trust operates their Turning Pages programme in nearly all prisons in England. This programme teaches prisoners to read and is delivered by prisoner mentors who work with individual learners.Every prison also has a reading strategy which has been supported by the donation of over 150,000 books to prisons by publishing houses through the ‘Bang-Up-Books’ campaign.In addition, the Literacy Innovation Fund provided funding to a further 15 prisons for projects delivered by the Shannon Trust, to further boost the reach of their peer mentoring and the National Literacy Trust who deliver workshops to encourage creative writing, reading and book groups.

How many and what proportion of prisons have a literacy programme.

All prisons assess prisoner literacy on entry, and deliver English Functional Skills qualifications via the main Prison Education Framework.HMPPS also fund 62 additional literacy and reading contracts across 80 prisons via the more locally commissioned Dynamic Purchasing System.All prisons have a library, and to further support reading the Shannon Trust operates their Turning Pages programme in nearly all prisons in England. This programme teaches prisoners to read and is delivered by prisoner mentors who work with individual learners.Every prison also has a reading strategy which has been supported by the donation of over 150,000 books to prisons by publishing houses through the ‘Bang-Up-Books’ campaign.In addition, the Literacy Innovation Fund provided funding to a further 15 prisons for projects delivered by the Shannon Trust, to further boost the reach of their peer mentoring and the National Literacy Trust who deliver workshops to encourage creative writing, reading and book groups.